HTC Magic

We've had some much-anticipated and long-awaited gadgets land at SlashGear this week, so we've gone overboard with unboxing videos and hands-on galleries. The Verizon MiFi 2200 only had its official announcement earlier this week, but we've been waiting for the Novatel EVDO-hotspot for so long you must forgive us some excitement. Meanwhile the Vodafone HTC Magic has the honor of being only the second Android phone to the market, while the Tonium Pacemaker manages to offer something unique in a sea of PMPs.

The Vodafone HTC Magic has arrived, and that can only mean one thing: it's time for an unboxing video! The second Android handset to reach the market, the Magic has the same 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen and 3.2-megapixel camera of the T-Mobile G1, but drops the hardware keyboard in favor of a slimmed-down profile. It also runs Android OS 1.5 'Cupcake', which means out-of-the-box video recording and playback.

New Android carrier news today, as both Rogers Wireless and NTT DoCoMo are confirmed to be launching Android smartphones in the near future. Rogers Wireless has picked up both the HTC Dream (aka the T-Mobile G1) and the HTC Magic for release on its Canadian network on June 2nd. Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has not confirmed a release date as yet, but will be offering a rebadged version of the HTC Magic.

It seems T-Mobile USA have decided on a name for their launch of the HTC Magic, and it's one of the suggestions the carrier tested out in last month's survey. The HTC T-Mobile myTouch 3G is the same underlying device as the Magic smartphone Vodafone Europe launched recently, but will go on sale in the US as the follow-up to the T-Mobile G1.

The first HTC Magic handsets are finding their way into the hands of excitable Germany early-adopters this week, after Vodafone surprised us all by launching the Android smartphone there ahead of their much-publicized UK release. SlashGear's friend Sascha is one of the first to get their hands on the commercial release, and he's shot an unboxing video to sate our needs for vicarious gadget fulfillment.

In the second piece of significant Android news today, Vodafone Spain have announced that sales of the HTC Magic begin this morning. Exclusive to the carrier in Europe, the Magic was nonetheless expected to land in the UK first, from May 5th; Spanish customers will have to pay a little more for the privilege, however, as while the phone will be priced from free (tariff depending) in the UK, in Spain it will range from €19 to €199 ($25 to $262).

The HTC Magic has been listed for pre-order from Vodafone UK, ahead of an expected May 5th launch. Announced back at Mobile World Congress in February, the Magic will be priced from free in the UK (contract depending); it has a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, HSDPA and WiFi, and will be the second generally-available Android handset after the T-Mobile G1.

Google just recently released the Android 1.5 "Cupcake" SDK to developers, but several intrepid coders from the XDA-Developer community have been working with the G1. An individual known as haykuro has successfully ported the software from the upcoming HTC Magic to the G1.

TmoNews released some pictures from T-Mobile. These pictures are of sheets that were given to select customers that were asked to participate in a survey to offer their feedback on new names for the next Google Phone. It isn't clear why they don't go with G2, the next logical name after G1, since the phone is the direct successor to the first Android device.

Vodafone UK have confirmed that the Android-based HTC Magic, which officially launched at Mobile World Congress last month in Barcelona, will be available on the network in April. The handset will be the second official Android device to launch, after the T-Mobile G1.